Three preliminary proposals for the Yelin Laura Song Foundation were presented today to the general public and committee by activists, the Cal U CSA, and the Cal U faculty.
I.
The LA Historical Association Director and immigration lawyer #5 presented first, with the support of CCEDLA, other immigration lawyers, and members of the community. They stated that they had received a "generous donation" from another source, but declined to comment on the amount and who the donor was. The proposal called for the majority to go towards the creation of an arts and culture center to "highlight and showcase the heritage, history, and culture of Chinatown," with art from local Chinatown and LatinX artists. They argued that art is important to the identity and revitalization of a community.
Another portion would go towards legal initiatives, such as providing pro-bono legal assistance to immigrants. There was a focus on women and helping them seek visas and help from human trafficking. When asked if the center would provide language classes, the presenters stated that they could possibly fund programs such as after school arts or language courses to children while their parents receive assistance and legal advice, but they would want to talk more to the community to decide on what would benefit them the most. They also would like to allocate some of the funds to provide financial aid for local businesses in the case of an event like COVID happens again to prevent the devastation of Chinatown businesses.
II.
The Cal U CSA presented next, starting with a reiteration of their statement on the investigation of David Xu. Their proposal centered on building an Asian Center of Excellence, or ACE. They hope to accomplish three main goals:
Create a career center that will provide bidirectional support for local and international businesses, allowing local businesses to expand overseas and international businesses to expand to the US,
Create a community hub, &
Combat Asian hate/racial profiling and promote the safety of Cal U students and community members, possibly with the addition of a blue light system to Cal U campus
As the proposed center would be 50 minutes away from the Cal U campus, the organization was questioned on the feasibility of access for Cal U students. The CSA president stated that during the academic year, the center would focus on supporting local businesses and members of the community, while Cal U students would be able to commute to the center during winter and summer breaks when they have more availability. They believe that this is realistic, since the majority of the students are local or international and remain in the area during breaks. They also hope to provide internships or business opportunities to students.
There is a fair amount of overlap of interests between the proposals, and the CSA president states that there is "room for collaboration," but there would need to be more discussions on any differences to determine if they can be reconciled.
III.
Cal U faculty #5 presented last with a proposal that mainly focused on the formation of a community center. The center would have various offices dedicated to different resources, including language classes for non-native speakers, Green Card and naturalization help, and support for small businesses, especially women in business. The rest of the funding would go toward education, classes, and workshops at Cal U to encourage Cal U students to learn more about Chinatown, racial tensions, and immigration history.
Additionally, the faculty want to host workshops for legal resources and immigrant aid with topics like welfare, healthcare, and food stamps. When asked on who would be staffing the center and teaching classes, they stated that Cal U professors would likely teach the classes, and staff may be hired to run the center. As for how Cal U students will reach the center, the proposal will allocate some of the budget to establish a rail or a shuttle to connect the center and campus.
David Xu, the Cal U professor currently under house arrest due to an ongoing federal investigation, joined the meeting via Zoom today.
The Daily Clue also reached to the Cal U President to comment on the David Xu investigation, as the Cal U administration has not addressed it yet. Many students are wondering about the university's stance. The president discussed that he shared similar sentiments with the Chinese Students Association, but refrained from providing an official statement until he received a more comprehensive view on the incident.
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As these proposals are not finalized yet, they are still expected to change. The final hearing for the foundation will take place tomorrow, when the committee and public will hear the finalized proposals and choose one to fund. The Daily Clue is expected to endorse a proposal that best supports the interests of the Cal U community before the meeting tomorrow.
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